The Things That Lonely People Do
by Normryl
Summary: Chapter Five and I'm out! She didn't think it was a big deal and he didn't care. And in the end, it almost broke them all.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: _The Things That Lonely People Do_**  
**Summary:** She didn't think it was a big deal and he didn't care. And in the end, it almost broke them all.  
**Notes**: This is a Daryl/Beth story, but it's not like you think it might be. It's not a love story, it's a way I see a romance between Daryl and Beth going. If you like Daryl and Beth as a couple, you probably won't like this. You could probably call this Dark!Daryl.  
**Warnings**: Some very slight sexual stuff in this chapter, not graphic at all. Please see other chapters for any warnings.

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**1.**

"Hey," Beth said as she poked her head round the curtain covering Daryl's cell door.

He looked up from his task of sharpening his knife. "Hey," he said, turning back to the knife in his hand paying her little attention.

"Carol said you hadn't been down for dinner so I thought I best bring you something to eat." She placed the bowl on the bed beside Daryl.

He frowned at it, casting the knife to one side and moving the bowl onto the chair. "That's what you came for?" he asked.

Beth stepped a little closer and looked behind her, made sure the curtain was closed and no one was snooping around. She shrugged her shoulders slightly and smiled at him hopefully.

She made her way over to him and sat beside him on the bed, leaning forward to kiss him, enjoying the feeling of his rough facial hair scratching against her skin.

He kissed her neck, the smooth skin underneath untarnished by life, unlike his own and he liked that most about her. The way her skin was smooth, so pure and untouched. So unlike his and Merle's.

He made sure he didn't kiss the same spot too much, didn't want to cause her the tell tale signs of his beard scratching her skin, a rash that couldn't be explained away.

Her hands reached for him, held his face as they kissed deeply, hungry for one another. He pulled back a little, breaking the kiss before he pushed her hands away from his face and kissed her hand, her wrist, moved up her arm until he was back at her neck again. She closed her eyes with delight, reached blindly for his shirt, fumbled about for buttons, but his hands pushed her touch away, as always.

She pulled away. "Daryl, I'm ready..."

He looked at her with an unreadable expression. "No," he shot her down firmly, no room for argument, no explanation.

"You've seen mine," she tried attempting to sound seductive but unsure of herself.

Jimmy had never been difficult to read like Daryl. She didn't know what to do to progress things with him.

She reached for his shirt again and again he pushed her hand away, before he pushed her back. She yelped as she fell back on the mattress and he straddled her, pinning her leg with his own, and then using one hand to hold both her arms over her head.

He kissed her again, using his other hand to run down her side, slid it underneath her shirt. She moaned as he kissed her throat, he loved the feeling of the vibrations her vocal cords made as his mouth sucked on the skin gently.

His hand made it's way underneath the cup of her bra, groped her breast with rough hands and just as Beth started to let out a moan, Daryl's hand retreated from her top and he was pulling her back to a sitting position and by the time she had adjusted her top and realised the footsteps were getting closer to his cell, Daryl had the bowl of food in his hand and a mouthful of food.

Carol poked her head in the door. She smiled brightly at the pair.

"Ah, I see you found him. Food okay?" she asked and Daryl nodded before giving her a mumbled "S'good," around the food he still chewed on.

"I told Rick I'd ask you if you'd swap watch shifts with him. He wants to take Carl out on a run tomorrow and wants you to take the morning shift. Will you be okay with that?"

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, sure. Ain't got nothin' else to do," he stated flatly.

Carol smiled. "Great, I'll let Rick know. Beth, I told Rick I'd have Judith while him and Carl are busy, but I really wanted to get some crops picked, do you think you could have her?"

Beth's brow creased. With the news Daryl was on watch, she'd planned to visit him for some alone time in the watch tower, but she could hardly do that with Judith. "I could have her for a bit, but I could do with an hour in the morning, if that's okay?"

"Honey, you don't have to take her for long. Just while I get the veg and prepare dinner and I'll have her straight back," Carol explained.

Beth nodded, smiled sweetly.

"Thank you," Carol said. "I'll leave you to it. Enjoy your dinner," Carol said as she left the pair alone.

Beth waited until the steps had faded away before she looked to Daryl, alarmed. "Do you think she suspected anything?"

Daryl shook his head, putting the bowl to one side again. "C'mere," Daryl motioned for Beth to come back closer to him.

"Gross, you'll taste of dinner," she teased, smiling. "Clean your teeth first is you want some sugar,"

His expression darkened slightly at her teasing manner but Beth stayed oblivious and moved closer to him, planting kisses on him, his lips, cheek, jaw. Her hands moved down and he thought she was going to try and unbutton his shirt again, but kept going down, reached for his pants this time.

Her hand lingered at the zip as she looked up to the hunter. He eyed her carefully.

"I want to do this for you," she said.

So he let her.

TBC...

A/N: So yeah, this is alternative Deth. Daryl & Beth but not in the way most people have written it. If you like it, let me know. If you hate it, well then go and read something fluffy and cute- there's plenty of stuff like that on here too. :D


	2. Chapter 2

2.

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Beth walked in from the prison yard, a smile on her face.

She made her way to Carol, ready to take Judith off of her for a little while. Let Carol get her jobs done.

She found Carol sat with Judith in her room. It was still fairly early and those who didn't have tasks to do were enjoy a quiet morning.

"Hello baby," Beth cooed at the child in Carol's arms. She felt a swell of love for the little girl as she took her off of Carol.

"We've had a good morning haven't we, Judith? She's had her bottle, we were having a little play. She did a poop too, so she shouldn't need any big changes for a while." Carol held the babies hand as she spoke, making faces as she talked to Beth to entertain Judith. "Okay, I'll get going on those crops. And.. I'll come get her when I'm done, okay?"

"Sure," Beth said, nodding. "We're gonna have a great time today."

Beth played with Judith for a while in the cell she slept in.

She wondered at times what would happen when Judith started to crawl and walk and how they could make the cells safe. She hoped that it might be a way off yet, but she started to give the infant more 'tummy time' getting her more curious about moving herself around.

When the cell block grew quiet, the distant sound of chatter but everyone else seeming to be busy, Beth crept from the cell with Judith and into Daryl's cell.

"Shall we leave Daryl a little gift, huh?" she asked Judith as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the sexiest panties she had. They weren't actually very sexy, in all honesty. The group took comfort over everything else, but it was enough. She pulled Daryl's cover back from his bed and placed the item on the bed, before she sat down on Daryl's bed and popped Judith so she was resting against the pillows.

The little girl sat there happily, while Beth pulled out a scrap of paper and a felt tip pen. She scrawled on the paper in her girlish handwriting _'Next time, maybe you can take these as your trophy'_ and drew some love hearts around it. Placed the note just inside the panties. She thought he'd like it.

Maybe smirk at her note at least.

She was busy enough with that and she didn't hear Maggie's approach. Judith's gentle noises leading the older sister to her siblings unusual hiding place.

Maggie pulled back the curtain and stepped inside boldly, having no reason to hold back.

She had no reason to think that Beth would be doing anything in Daryl's bedroom that wouldn't be okay.

But as Beth spun to see her surprise guest, she didn't cover up her surprise for Daryl. Maggie's eyes landed on the item beside Beth, enough of the note sticking out that she couldn't dismiss it.

"Beth... " she started, but the words failed her.

Beth looked back down and covered the underwear, face burning red.

"What are you doing?" Maggie asked.

"It's not what it looks like, okay?" Beth sighed, covered her face with her hands and let out another breath. "Okay, we didn't want to say anything because you wouldn't understand."

"Understand what? What's there to understand?" Maggie said, feeling herself losing control a little. She couldn't believe what was happening. Daryl and Beth?

"Look it's no big deal, really. It's no different to you and Glenn."

"It's totally different to me and Glenn!" Maggie almost yelled back, both women's voices raising as they spoke.

"You're right, I've known him a lot longer than you had when you guys hooked up."

"Beth, Dad is gonna kill you. I might kill you. Daryl's... you're too young!"

"I'm not too young. I love him, okay? And I know he loves me too."

Maggie took a deep breath. "Okay...I need to talk to Daryl."

"No, you can't! We weren't going to say anything!"

"Well, I can't not say anything to him..."

"Please, Maggie..." Beth pleaded.

"Listen... if this whole thing is as genuine as you say then you'll need me on your side to tell Dad, okay?"

Beth sighed. "Okay," she agreed eventually. "Just, don't shout at him, he'll just get angry if you do."

Daryl went down to greet Carl and Rick from watch.

They both had a bag slung over their shoulders and Daryl took Carl's from him, surprised by the weight in the bag. "Everythin' go okay?"

Rick nodded. "Got everything we went for." Rick said.

"It was an easy run," Carl agreed.

"Good."

The three of them walked towards the entrance to C block in silence. Maggie burst out before any of them could open the door. Her eyes were wild and they settled straight on to Daryl. She forced a smile onto her lips before she spoke. "Hey, I need to talk to Daryl for a minute," she said, voice tight.

"Here," Daryl said, handing Carl the bag back. Seeing the look on Maggie's face, Rick decided whatever had to be said would be said with him present. He handed his bag to Carl who took it, closing the door behind him.

"Rick..." Maggie started.

"I'm not going, so just say what you have to say," he encouraged.

Maggie didn't care enough to argue with him and her eyes went back to Daryl. "Tell me you're not sleeping with my little sister."

Daryl didn't look shock or surprised at the accusation. "I'm not sleeping with her," he said, voice neutral, no emotion displayed on his features.

"Why would you think that?" Rick asked slightly taken back with the accusation.

"Because of the note she left in your bed."

"I told you I'm not sleeping with her." Daryl said, shrugging.

Maggie considered the note. It started with the words 'next time', so maybe they weren't sleeping together yet. "You've been with her, though? In other ways?"

He shrugged again. "It's jus' someone to do somethin' with," Daryl replied. He barely registered Maggie's hand until it struck the side of his face. He grabbed her arm in response, pushed her away from him in case she dared to strike him again.

"Hey, calm down," Rick said, grabbing Daryl's arm as he raised it slightly defensively. "Maggie, go inside and cool down, okay? Let me talk to Daryl."

Maggie did as she was told but slammed the door behind her.

Rick waited for the noise from the door to die down, closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he looked to Daryl. "Listen Daryl, lets talk about this, okay?"

Daryl shook his head. "There's nothing to talk about," Daryl said, opening the door and stepping inside C Block.

That was when all hell broke loose.

TBC...

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**A/N:** So that's chapter two. I expect this story to divide opinion. It's all good. I don't always want to write things that people love. If you hate it, let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Probably at this point I should point out that this is set before season 4. At this stage, I'm taking Daryl's loss of Merle in a much darker place than I'm sure it'll go on the show. On the show, he seems to be growing and accepting the love and friendship he gets from the group. In my version... not so much.  
This is why it's fanfic, guys. It's not always going to be cute and fluffy with OC's jumping out and meeting Daryl & falling in love.  
Don't like it? Good. You have plenty of other stories to go look at.  
This is for the people that are sick of those stories. I'm bringing some reality back to this damn fandom!  
Rant over. Let's get going.

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3.

It seemed that in the time Daryl had been outside, everyone had found out about what he and Beth had been up too.

He'd not been confronted by an angry Father for a long time. But in front of him stood Hershel Greene, eyes burning with anger just like his daughters had been a few moments ago when she'd confronted him.

He looked like he wanted to say something, his lips quivering with a rage burning inside him, but words didn't come and Daryl's head cracked to one side as Hershel threw a punch, landing on Daryl's cheekbone with bruising force. "Stay away from my daughter," Hershel said, voice unsteady with emotion.

And Daryl backed away, turned on his heels and walked across the prison yard, Rick stood by the door, not sure what to do. He felt the most pressing issue was the group. It didn't seem like Daryl was going far and he could deal with him afterwards.

Tyresse and Sasha and others from Woodbury made themselves scarce. When Maggie started to blurt out some harsh words about Daryl and Beth, Michonne took Carl and headed for the guard tower to keep watch.

Beth looked upset, on the verge of tears, while Maggie and Hershel looked furious. Carol hadn't quite grasped what the whole commotion was about yet.

"What's Daryl done that's got everyone so upset?" Carol asked.

"Slept with Beth?" Glenn asked, not quite sure himself of exactly what was happening.

"What?" Carol said, shock clear.

"No!" Beth stated. "We never did. We just... " she started and then re-thought the idea of correcting them on what they did and didn't do. "We never did that."

"You haven't done it yet, that's all. You wanted too," Maggie said, shaking her head. She couldn't believe her sister could be so stupid.

"It's not like that. We love each other."

"Are you sure about that? If he loved you wouldn't he be in here defending you right now? Fighting in your corner?"

"How can he when you all attack him like that!"

"This is crazy. It's Daryl! I'm gonna talk to him," Carol said before anyone else could say anything else.

She left the noise of the others behind her as she headed out across the prison yard. She looked out and found Daryl was down by their makeshift graveyard, stood just past the graves and looking off to the trees beyond the fence.

"Hey?" she called out as she neared him, he turned slightly, and she could see the reddening where Hershel had struck him, noticed that he turned sideways so he could watch her and her heart skipped a beat that part of him had reverted to the old way, the Daryl that she used to know. He was preparing himself physically for an attack.

She made sure she kept her distance, made him feel safer and she relaxed her body, tried to remove any tension she held so that he'd pick up on it too and hopefully do the same. A tense Daryl was never going to hold a conversation, and that's what she needed to have.

She needed to understand what was happening here so she could help him straighten all this out.

"Come to take a shot too?" he asked, warily, eyes on her even though he still appeared to be looking out at the trees. He was sly like that. Careful and cautious as he could be.

"Of course not. I just want to know the truth. It's why I came to you. I don't need to hear it from anyone else."

His mouth twitched slightly, a grimace or a smile, she couldn't tell but he shook his head. She wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean, whether he didn't want to talk to her or what. "I can wait," she said, smiled a little.

He turned away from her slightly, so he was looking more out to the trees and a little less at her and as he stood there she could see how tightly he held himself together. He was a mass of tension, needing to find a release. When the silence stretched out long enough, she decided she'd have to press him.

"Daryl, what happened with Beth?"

His shoulders raised slightly like he was about to give a shrug, but he held himself like it. He looked uncomfortable and there was the start of a niggling worry within her. Because he wasn't acting like himself.

And she thought about what it might be. Maybe something wrong with him, or Beth, some secret they were keeping. Maybe they'd developed an intimacy through this shared secret and it had been misunderstood by the others. One of them could be sick. Terrified of something that was incurable or too delicate to be cured in these times.

"She was just there," he said eventually, turning from her completely.

"It's okay that you needed someone, Daryl. We all need someone to lean on now and again. Maybe Beth isn't the right person for that though."

"What, and you are?"

"If you want to talk about things, then anyone here is good for that. We all care about one another here. But if you want love..."

And she hesitated going further when she saw him somehow manage to get more tense when she spoke those words. He turned his head towards her. "What about Merle?"

Her brow creased at that, unexpected to heat Merle's name mentioned right now. "What about him?"

"Was he cared about and loved here?"

"He could have been. And you cared about him. Loved him."

"Did I?" Daryl asked, looking back out towards the trees, Merle's grave marker just behind him. "Merle loved me."

"And do you love Beth?" Carol asked.

He wasn't thinking about Beth and it pushed his thoughts away from Merle, back to the reason Carol came to see him and he didn't want Merle to be cast aside again, not for anything.

And his anger rose within him. "Course I don't. She's a stupid bitch," he growled out.

Carol looked at him surprised but such an outburst of anger from him. He'd not spoke to her like that since the farm. And she stepped away from him, remembered how he'd got in her face, how he'd got so close to striking her, and although she wasn't afraid, she didn't want to provoke.

"You want me to go back and tell her that?"

"Tell 'er what you like. Ain't my problem."

"You know what? I'm gonna give you some time to cool off, let you think about what you're saying before you come back in there and speak to Hershel and Maggie..."

"You think I care about them, what they think?"

"You should. We're your family." Carol turned from him, walked away back towards the prison.

Daryl watched her go. Watched her as she walked away from him, and even though he didn't look down, he could still see Merle's grave just in front of him. She was walking away from him and his brother.

Carol heard Daryl's footsteps behind her as he rushed to catch up with her and she_ felt _it. Felt his anger, the way his breathing was faster and she'd felt it before, with Ed.

She wanted to try and run but knew she could never out run him and she quelled the fear, reminded herself it was Daryl and not Ed behind her and kept moving.

She didn't expect to feel his hand grab onto her arm so roughly, yank her back a little forcefully, his face contorted into an angry snarl and she felt afraid for a moment as she struggled to pull her arm from his grasp.

"Daryl, let me go," she ground out, trying to pry his fingers off of her with her free hand.

"Don't walk away from me!" he told her, loosening his grip as she stopped struggling.

"I just want to get back inside, okay?" she told him as she got out of his grasp, ran the first couple of steps as she put some distance between them. She barely noticed the tears in her eyes she just kept her eyes fixed on the gate to the prison. She wanted to get back inside, away from Daryl.

His hand grabbed onto her arm again, stopping her like before and she felt a tear roll down her cheek as he yanked her back towards him.

"I told you to stop," he yelled. He pulled her so she was closer to him and she pushed back at him, but he didn't let go, didn't loosen his grip.

She slapped him, hoping he'd release her but he barely flinched from her blow and she tried again, hitting him a couple more times before a gunshot echoed out across the yard. It embedded in the ground close by, a warning shot and this time, Daryl let go, followed behind her but didn't grab for her again.

He eyed the watch tower where he saw Michonne watching them through binoculars, though it was Carl who held the gun.

The gunshot drew the others out and seeing Carol distressed and the way Daryl was walking after her made the others react.

Daryl watched as Carol ran up to meet the others, he could tell she was sobbing even walking behind her and Maggie ran towards her, along with Rick and Glenn, the others just behind them.

And it was Rick who stood in front of them all, gun pointing at his face, daring him to keep coming.

He took the dare.

TBC...

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A/N: I know so many of you are going to be hating me right now. I *did* say it wasn't a love story, so if you have that to moan about, please, next time take heed of my warnings.

Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Just to clarify, I haven't been getting any bad comments from anyone about this story. I'm just letting people know what if you're big fans of Daryl and Beth and this story isn't what you like, don't say I didn't warn you. :D

Shorter chapter tonight. Enjoy.

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4.

Daryl walked until the barrel of Rick's gun was pressed against his head.

He could feel the cool metal of it there and his eyes never left Rick. He was daring him to do it, not afraid to keep moving, force rick's hand if he had too.

And around them, no one dared to move a muscle, afraid of what would happen by any movement they made.

It was Rick who gave out first, lowering the weapon because he knew there was no way he was going to shoot Daryl. Rick looked down and away from Daryl for a moment.

"Pussy," Daryl muttered.

"Keep your mouth shut," Rick barked at him, hearing enough anger from The Greene's and now Carol's weeping to push his patience with Daryl to the limit.

"Or what? You'll blow my head off?" Daryl said, mockingly, smiling at the former sheriff.

It was in that moment that Rick realised that Daryl could have that exact same shit eating grin that Merle had.

With Daryl in this mood and the tension from the others this was a dangerous situation and he had to treat it carefully.

"You owe my daughter an apology," Hershel said.

"Carol too," Glenn added.

Carol muttered she was fine as Maggie comforted her.

"Blondie? For what? Letting her live a little," Daryl asked.

"She's seventeen, for goodness sake!" Hershel protested.

"Right, so she'll have something to be grateful for when she dies..."

"Shut up," Rick shouted, as he grabbed Maggie and stopped her from going towards Daryl. Glenn took hold of her and Rick kept his body between Daryl and Hershel, certain the older man would try something at any moment.

Beth was stood beside her Father during the confrontation so far, upset by the whole thing. She thought that the others behaviour was why Daryl was lashing out, but what Daryl said was so heartless she couldn't believe it. She stepped forward, away from the other's reach, wanted to see Daryl, certain he couldn't look at her and say much a cruel thing.

"You don't mean that," she said.

His eyes slid across to her and he looked at her blankly. There was no warmth, no feelings at all being shown.

"You love me, I know you do. Just tell them you do. And then it'll be okay. They'll be okay with us if they know," Beth pleaded with him. Part of her saw the truth as she stood there looking at him and he did nothing but glare back at her. "Daryl, please?"

"Beth..." Maggie said, not wanting her sister to embarrass herself in front of the others.

"You're just a little girl," Daryl said, eyes on her. "You think we were gonna get married? Any port in a storm, ya know?"

Rick pushed Daryl back as a flurry of movement erupted behind Rick and he struggled to hold the others Daryl had angered back. "Hey, just stop," Rick called, trying to control everyone.

"I'm not going to tolerate any more of this," Hershel said and for a moment, Rick worried that he was going to try and get to Daryl again but instead he turned away and walked back towards the prison.

Beth had moved away a little and when Hershel tried to move her along with him, she moved away from him angrily, walking back over towards Rick. She stayed a distance away from the others though.

Maggie and Glenn followed Hershel inside and despite her best attempts, Maggie couldn't convince Carol to follow her.

Maggie was grateful to see Michonne at the bottom of the watch tower. She'd left Carl on watch and she kept her distance, let the matter be dealt with by the others, but if she needed to intervene, she could.

Rick turned back to Daryl. Somehow, this had to be resolved before Daryl stepped back inside the prison.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I don't think people are going to expect this story to go this way. And just to re-state, I don't imagine Daryl being like this on the show, but a person could potentially have a drastic change in personality after a loss like Daryl suffered through.

Enjoy Season 4 tonight guys. :)

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Daryl looked past Rick to see Carol and Beth still stood behind him. He needed one final push to get things where he wanted them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing out here?" Daryl asked, turning his attention back to Rick. "Ain't you got a son to try and raise? We all know you're not bothered about the girl 'cause she ain't yours but I thought you were still pretending."

Rick's eyes narrowed slightly, and he kept his mouth shut, took some breaths through his nose. "Why are you doing this? This isn't you," Rick said.

Daryl blew a frustrated breath from his mouth, exasperated by the Sheriff's stupidity. "No, you don't get it, this is me. This is the person you were always trying to keep in line. Me and Merle were bad people. You should have known better."

"I don't buy that shit," Rick argued.

"You wouldn't. You're a dumb shit like that. No wonder Shane took care of your woman for ya, and no wonder he tried to kill you. He had the right idea."

Rick shook his head. "I don't believe it. I won't. I won't believe any of this stuff you're saying..."

"Believe what you like. You think I'm going back in there with you people? Gonna live under the same roof with sweet Beth and not get a piece of her. Gonna let Hershel blast my brains out all over the cell and try and explain that?"

"Why are you doing this?" Rick yelled as Carol backed away over to Beth and pulled the sobbing girl into her arms.

"This is what this world does to people, Rick. Look at you. The good ol' Sheriff turned murderer. Blasts people in the face if he's not sure he can trust 'em. Now, are you sure you can trust me? Did you trust Merle? You think now he's gone I forget about him or I hang on to everything he told, huh? Maybe make things right for him, he had some scores to settle with you people." Daryl grabbed at Rick's wrist quickly and Rick pulled his hand sharply away from Daryl's even though the hunter had nothing in his hand that could hurt him. The threat was enough.

And Rick looked. Wanted to see some fear in Daryl's eyes, some hope that maybe he was acting out, maybe he was just scared and doing all of this because he needed something from them, needed Rick to guide him. But he could ask for that, and this wasn't like anything Daryl had done before. He was completely out of character. Messing about with Beth, being cruel to Carol... to all of them. His words were chosen to hurt.

Rick took a couple of steps away from Daryl, eyes never leaving him.

"There's got to be a way to make this right again," Rick said, his eyes held a glazed look to them and Daryl knew that Rick realised there was no way back from this.

Not unless Daryl were to go back in there and beg for their forgiveness and they both knew that with Daryl's attitude right now that wasn't going to happen. "What can I do? Just tell me what you need..."

"I need you to get my crossbow. S'all I need from in there. Then I can go," Daryl said.

Rick shook his head, no, refusing to do as he was asked.

Daryl rolled his eyes and shook his head and headed past Rick and towards the prison. He heard Beth's hysterical cries grow louder as Daryl started to walk towards her unintentionally as her and Carol were in between him and the door.

Daryl avoided them both, eyes fixed on the door as he strode with purpose past the teen.

"Daryl, please..." she begged, sobbing uncontrollably. "Please, just tell them. Tell them you love me and it'll be okay!" She was desperate. Pathetic, really.

Carol tried to comfort the girl but as Daryl stepped past her she fell to her knees, sobs racking her body.

Daryl opened the door ready to head inside.

He expected a shit storm when he walked in, but he wasn't even able to get that far as Glenn blocked his path.

"You wanna get outta my way?" Daryl barked at the younger man.

"You're not coming in here." Glenn told him.

Daryl went to push past the other man but found he stood firm, there was no give and Daryl was impressed by the kids balls. But he knew that was wrong, Glenn hadn't been a kid for a long time. This world made men of them all. Glenn's eyes were drawn past Daryl to Beth who was still on the ground, Carol consoling her still.

Daryl watched as Glenn's eyes fell back upon him and he saw nothing but hatred in them as they locked eyes. Daryl smirked, that was what he wanted so there was enough genuine pleasure behind the smile to infuriate Glenn further.

Glenn's fists clenched as he forced himself to control his anger, only the scene of Beth's distress holding him back from laying his fists into Daryl. He knew it would distress her further but the bastard deserved it.

Sensing the fighting stance Glenn was taking, Daryl's own right hand started to creep backwards towards his knife. He might not be intending to use it but he certainly could threaten him with it. Daryl's hand gripped the hilt of the knife but his arm was grabbed and forced behind his back as Rick grabbed hold of him, seeing what the hunter was about to do.

Daryl struggled against the other man.

"Jus' get my crossbow, dammit!" Daryl demanded, facing growing redder as he struggled to fight his way out of Rick's grip. Glenn waited for Rick to nod his approval and he went and got the hunter's weapon.

Daryl could see from the corner of his eye Maggie and Hershel watching it all but neither moved.

Glenn moved back with the crossbow but rather than hand it to Rick, he barged past, shoulder slamming into Daryl as he went and he moved over to where Daryl's bike was and threw the weapon down next to it.

The force he threw it with might have damaged something but Daryl had no desire to be using the thing again. It was simply his possession. He joined the group with little more than the crossbow, Merle and his bike and he'd leave with the two things he could take with him.

Rick released Daryl, pushed him away a little, more to stop Daryl from attacking him than anything else.

Daryl huffed as he walked over to his bike and picked the crossbow up.

The sight of Daryl readying himself to leave, set Beth off again and she managed to struggle out of Carol's grip and ran to Daryl.

She was no less pleading with him than she had been a few moments earlier and Daryl stood there as she grabbed onto him, begging him not to go, not to leave her behind, that they could work all this out. He did his best to move away from her and release his leg from her grip when she grabbed hold of it.

He found the whole thing embarrassing, found she was making a fool of herself in front of everyone , but she didn't care.

Hershel and Maggie had come to the door, Glenn stood on the outside of it still guarding it. Carol was stood by Rick now, all watching Daryl and Beth.

"Beth, honey, come here," Maggie called to her sister.

Daryl looked down to the girl. "Go to someone who wants ya," Daryl told her, words harsh and cruel. He again tried to remove her and she released his leg, just to stand back up and grab hold of his arm.

Knowing this needed to end, Daryl took drastic action and grabbed the girl roughly and pushed her away from him. She stumbled backwards and tripped over her feet, fell hard to the ground. There was a gasp from a few of the onlookers and then silence.

Rick and Carol both reached out to her and Daryl's eyes stayed on the girl, desperate for her to get the hint.

Her head stayed down, crying and Daryl was relieved she got the message. He didn't get a chance to move as Michonne's katana was pressed slightly into his neck.

"You best go," she told him.

His eyes moved across to hers as the blade bit into his throat and they locked eyes.

And maybe there was something she saw in him that no one else did, or maybe he showed his weakness for just a second, but he saw her eyes soften.

She understood.

And Daryl stepped backwards away from the blade and towards his bike, harsh mask of indifference back on his face as he climbed on the bike.

And none of them moved as they watched him leave.

oOo

Maggie found Beth later that night asleep on Daryl's bed.

She woke her younger sister and took her back to her own room, an old shirt of Daryl's clasped in her hand.

Rick locked the cell afterwards.

It was Daryl's cell. Always would be and he had this stupid thin sense of hope that maybe one day Daryl would come back and reclaim it.

The others sat around that night together, wondering what went wrong.

They threw out theories, relaid what Daryl had said and in the end, none of them understood why Daryl had done the things he had.

Michonne stayed silent.

oOo

She'd gone out alone.

Knew where to find him. Back at the seed mill where Merle had died.

It made sense. She'd gathered Merle's loss had hurt Daryl in a way that time just couldn't heal. So she knew where to find him and the sight of the bike made it obvious.

It didn't take long to find Daryl.

A few walkers bodies were close by where he sat on the floor. His crossbow was nowhere in sight, just a knife by his side, just in case.

He looked surprised to see her, but only for a brief moment, then his head lolled to one side and he stared at the wall.

She knew he was dying. It was what he came here to do.

"Why ya here?" he asked her, voice a little raspy.

"No one should die alone," she told him. She sat down opposite him, leaning against a wall.

"Merle did," Daryl told her.

"That wasn't your fault." She told him. She didn't have enough time to make him believe her if he didn't but she could at least hope he might take some comfort in her words.

"I always gave him a hard time about shit, but... I weren't great. Didn't look for him in Atlanta... spent more time looking for Carol's girl. Shitty, huh?"

"Merle could take care of himself."

"He did that okay." Daryl said, closing his eyes as he let his head rest against the wall behind him.

"You bit?" Michonne asked him when silence fell and he nodded. He moved his arm to show her. It was barely a scratch really. If he'd been with the group they could have dealt with it easily.

She knew this was his choice though.

To come here alone and to die like this. It didn't escape her that he could have have a real bit, or he could have killed himself.

He was torturing himself even in death because in his mind, he'd failed his brother.

"It hurts, ya know," Daryl said, matter of factly.

"Dying? I suppose it does."

"Living." He was quiet a moment before he spoke again. "They okay?"

Michonne nodded. "Yeah. They'll be fine." Tyresse had stepped up to help Rick out after Daryl had gone and they'd pulled together. Beth was still a little tender and delicate, but she was gathering a new found strength from it all.

"Was easier that way. If they didn't care..." Daryl explained.

Michonne smiled at him. "I got it. Although they still care. Part of them always will."

"You tellin' 'em ya found me?" he asked.

"They don't need to know." Michonne said, knowing it was what he wanted. He reminded her of an injured wolf that had taken itself away from the pack to die. He knew his pack would look for him though, if he just disappeared. To spare them, he'd made sure his last act was selfless, casting himself aside so that they could continue on. "So what about when you turn?"

"Figure it won't much matter then. Won't know anythin' any more."

Michonne nodded, knew he was right.

"You can go." he told her.

"I don't want to get back too quickly. It's laundry day," she told him, jokingly.

A ghost of a smile played across his lips. "I ain't afraid to die alone," he told her.

"I don't want you to die alone."

"I ain't afraid," he repeated.

"If you want me to go..." she said, letting it hang in the air. And he nodded his reply.

She stood up, accepting his request.

She walked across to the door and opened it, staying inside and she banged it shut.

In his state, Daryl didn't notice, Michonne as stealthy as ever as she crept out of his sight in the shadows.

She moved so she was closer to him, a few large wooden crates between them and she quietly sat there.

She listened as his breathing eventually got a little more laboured, and he'd occasionally mumble something incoherently. She recognised the fever ravishing his body.

She was going to wait, going to make sure he never turned but it felt like she waited too long and the fever was taking too long to take him.

She didn't want him to suffer any more.

So she made the choice.

And she didn't let him die alone.

~Fini~

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I told you it wouldn't go where you thought it would. :D

Now, I'm ready for Season 4 to inspire me! :D


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